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Chase Elliott finally set to graduate high school

By WTOP Staff

LUKE MEREDITH
AP Sports Writer

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — For many veteran NASCAR drivers, balancing a career while raising kids is a huge challenge.

Chase Elliott? He has risen to the top of NASCAR’s Nationwide Series while dealing with the responsibilities that come with being a teenager. Imagine how good the 18-year-old Elliott might become now that he won’t have to worry about high school anymore.

On Saturday morning, Elliot will graduate from King’s Ridge Christian School in Alpharetta, Georgia. And then he will have to “turn and burn” according to his father, 1988 NASCAR champion Bill Elliott, with qualifying at Iowa Speedway scheduled less than 10 hours after Elliott receives his diploma.

It’ll be the last time Elliott will have to juggle school and work.

“What’s going to be weird is not going back to high school this fall. That’s going to be the deal that makes you sit back and think. I’m kind of waiting for that moment,” Elliott said.

Unlike many high school graduates, Elliott has known his calling for years.

Elliott notched six top-10s in the K&N Pro Series East in 2011 at just 15 years old. His first NASCAR win came during a K&N event in Iowa in May 2012, and last season he won an ARCA race at Pocono.

Elliott also dabbled in the Camping World Trucks series in 2013, posting five top-10s while becoming the youngest winner in a NASCAR national series event at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.

All of this helped him land a deal with the star-laden JR Motorsports in the offseason, even though the first nine Nationwide races fell during the end of his senior year at King’s Ridge.

“He’s a pretty focused individual,” Bill Elliott said. “As he continues on and learns more, it’ll make him better. But how much better, I don’t know. The biggest key is, once he understands more of what he needs. He knows how to race, and I think the key of the whole thing is making sure he does what he can do and go from there.”

Earlier in his career, Elliott tried to lessen his academic pressure by taking his books with him on the road.

He quickly realized he couldn’t focus on both at the same time. So Elliott typically crammed a week’s worth of studying into just three days so he could spend Thursdays, Fridays and weekends focused on racing.

It never hurt his performance in the No. 9 Chevrolet.

Elliott won back-to-back Nationwide races at Texas and Darlington last month — taking over the points lead in the process — and finished second at Richmond before settling for 19th at Talladega two weeks ago.

Even though Elliott is excited about the opportunity to focus mainly on racing, he’s also wary of being so focused on the track that he “gets his head screwed up.”

For Elliott, finding something other than school to help even out his life is his next hurdle to clear.

“I think it is important to have a balance of what you do racing-wise and what you do during the week,” Elliott said. “It seems like all the Cup guys are having kids right now, and they’re all having them at about the same time. They all talk about that balance away from the race track, and I can understand where they’re coming from.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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